White: Voucher use should grow

Despite an ongoing legal challenge, the ranks of voucher students and schools that accept them will likely grow for the next school year, state Superintendent of Education John White said Wednesday.

White also said that, even if the current method for funding vouchers is struck down, he is confident that state policymakers will find a way to continue the program, which is costing about $22 million per year.

“My conversations with policymakers and others make it clear to me that the view is that we should support the families,” White said, a reference to those who qualify for the state aid.

The issue stems from a 2012 state law that allows students who attend public schools rated C, D or F, and who meet income rules, to qualify for state-funded vouchers to attend private and parochial schools.

However, 19th Judicial District Court Judge Tim Kelley, of Baton Rouge, ruled on Nov. 30 that the funding mechanism in the law is unconstitutional because it improperly diverts state dollars designed for public schools.

Attorneys for the state appealed the ruling to the state Supreme Court.

A hearing is set for March 19 at 2 p.m.

White announced Wednesday that applications for the 2013-14 school year are available and can be done online or by paper.

The deadline is March 15.

Officials of the state Department of Education will make initial offers to families on the week of April 15.

White said 134 non-public schools have met initial state qualification requirements, up from 118 now.

The state has about 5,000 voucher students now.

He said he assumes that number will rise during the next school year, in part because some schools already taking part in the program will add new grades.

Last year controversy erupted over the quality of some of the private schools authorized by the state to accept voucher students.

White has said this year’s review began in November, including whether schools meet state rules for independent accreditation.

Those that are not, and hope to qualify for voucher students, undergo visits from state officials.

When the state Supreme Court will rule on the legality of the voucher financing law is unclear.

The 2013 regular legislative session lasts from April 8 until June 6.

State officials face a shortfall of more than $1 billion to maintain current spending levels.

The vouchers are supposed to pay for tuition and mandatory fees at private and parochial schools.

White said voucher students cost the state an average of $5,100 per year, compared with about $8,500 to attend a public school.

The list of non-public schools that have met the state’s initial okay include 21 in East Baton Rouge Parish, three in Ascension Parish, one in West Baton Rouge Parish and one in the Zachary Community School District.

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Comments

1) Comment by NewsFreak - 14/02/2013

Redemptorist (9th-12th) fees and tuition of up to $10k is higher than St Joseph's, St Michaels, and Catholic High schools. I wonder if this amount was increased this school year in anticipation of charging and receiving from the state this higher voucher amount for every student. I also just re-read in the Redemptorist Online student handbook that the Graduation Requirements are 4 credits for Theology. How will a 10th-12th grade voucher student be able to receive 4 Theology credits in less than 4 school years? (Note only 3 credits of science are needed to graduate)

2) Comment by NewsFreak - 14/02/2013

3) Comment by NewsFreak - 14/02/2013

IMO I love how White and the Advocate keep stating that the average cost of educating one public school student in LA is $8500. Of the three schools (Hosanna Christian Academy, Redemptorist Schools of Baton Rouge, and Riverdale Christian Academy) listed in EBR Parish that are accepting voucher students grade K-12, tuition and fees for the 2012-2013 school year are as high as $10,000.00 for one child for one school year at Redemptorist High School. If Redemptorist accepts 100 voucher students for 2013-2014 school year, at this tuition and fee schedule, that is $1,000,000.00 the school receives. I do not believe that Redemptorist High School (under current headmaster) would receive a passing score given the same test that public schools are tested on. There is a reason why the entire school faculty left after the 2011-2012 school year from the principal to every teacher and coach with the exception of a handful of teachers. Answer this question would Redemptorist be open this school year, given the large amount of voucher students (over 100) they accepted, if there was not a flow of voucher money flowing in? There was a TOTAL of 228 students at Redemptorist in Nov 2012, causing the school to be downgraded to class 1A even with large amount of voucher students accepted. How do the vouchers help the rest of the public school students (95-98%) in failing schools that did not get a voucher to a private school? (Note this school year Redemptorist Schools of Baton Rouge is the school merged from St Isidore, St Gerard, Redemptorist Elem, Jr High, and High School encompassing K-12 grades)

4) Comment by Concerned_Parent - 14/02/2013

Shouldn't the article be called "White: Voucher use should decrease" since the goal of education reform is to improve our schools???? A positive result would be for vouchers to never be needed. The end goal should be to shut down the private schools b/c you don't need to pay for school. Same old story of crooked politicians filling their pockets with cash. There is no other way to look at it. Not even the strongest supporters of the vouchers or this new "reform package" can deny it.

5) Comment by phil - 14/02/2013

Vouchers need to grow so some folks can make profits? What happened to equal treatment for ALL students who attend public schools? If vouchers are going to be given out, then shouldn't every student in public school be able to get one? If that happens, then the voucher system basically replaces the existing public school system and the end result is that taxpayers pay more and students get about the same education they were getting before the voucher system started, and some owners of private schools get rich. How about think this entire issue out all the way to the end game?

6) Comment by postscript56 - 14/02/2013

It is all part of the belief that a thing has no value unless it is bought, sold, and generates a profit for a private interest - that there is no virtue in "the public good." that's the "brave, new world" of ALEC.

7) Comment by swinham - 14/02/2013

Can you say, "A-L-E-C"? Government has no business trying to educate people. We need to get this tax money into private hands where it belongs. These new private schools are the cat's meow with all new ideas and business plans to support them. And remember, discipline and other classroom problems related to poor parenting and home environments evaporate once you privatize. Let's all drink deeply of the Kool-Aid and enter the brave, new world.

8) Comment by spqr - 14/02/2013

Traveler, he is misleading the public as part of his job description. White did not get the job due to experience. White was selected for his ability to lie with a convincing face.

9) Comment by Traveler - 14/02/2013

Noel, there are only two possible explanations for Mr. White's stance: either Mr. White is deliberately misleading the public about the funding formula for vouchers, or he doesn't understand it himself.. Neither option speaks well of a state superintendent of education, does it?

10) Comment by Noel Hammatt - 13/02/2013

Again, White fails to note that it is not state money paying for the vouchers. What is wrong with being truthful about this? It is some state, and more local, money especially in places like Baton Rouge. More importantly, the choices of a few (and no information has been released about the make-up of this group, but we know it has fewer of the students from the lowest income categories, and it has significantly fewer special education students) are actually creating much less choice for the 98% of students. While it is possible that there are some savings at the state level, there are NO savings at the local level. In fact, local school districts pay twice for these students.